I'm curious if anyone knows why co-sleeping with a smoking mother increases SIDS risk? I was just reading on some pro-co-sleeping sites and they kept mentioning it. I do not smoke, nor does DH, but I'm just curious how it works. Is the air being exhaled by the mom, even hours after she last smoked, still containing dangerous chemicals? Is that why? Or is it residue on her skin? Just wondering if anyone knows.

I don't think they know "why" the risk is increased, only that by studying SIDS death, they noticed a correlation between SIDS and smokers.

"Because it is not known whether the risk caused by smoking is associated with prenatal smoking, postpartum smoking, or both, bedsharing among either prenatal or postpartum smokers should be strongly discouraged."

I would venture a guess that it's the lingering smoke on mother's clothes, skin, and hair because that's exposure to secondhand smoke, even if it's not as blatant as the mother is smoking in the same area as the infant (which is obviously a very bad thing to do).

My husband smokes, and we co-sleep, BUT he always puts an overshirt on, only smokes outside, wears his hair back in a ponytail, and when he comes back inside, he takes off the overshirt, washes his hands and face, and brushes his teeth. He changes clothes completely before bed. And he never handled the baby without going through the "de-smoke" ritual, and he doesn't smoke in our car, or around the baby if the baby's outside.

That was our agreement, since he couldn't quit entirely. And we've been very careful about avoiding all other potential SIDS factors, but I'm not hugely troubled by the fact tht my husband smokes, since he's very conscientious about the effects of secondhand smoke around the baby. I'm not pro-smoking or anything, but I understand how hard it can be to quit for some people.

There are sooooooo many toxins in cigarettes, and they cling to the skin, hair, clothes of anyone who smokes. I didn't let smokers even hold mine when they were small, without them going through the whole change into a nonsmoker's clothes, scrub to your elbows with soap thing. I despise the whole tobacco thing, think the companies that sell the stuff are pure evil.

Along the same lines: Do you think it would go over ok if I insisted all the smokers in my family wash their hands before holding my baby? I know it's brief contact, but I'm already stressing about my mom and both my sisters smoking on the way to see my brand new baby and walking in all stinky saying, "Let me hold the baby!" : I honestly wish I could have them get into scrubs and shower, brush their teeth, etc. first, but of course that's unreasonable. But handwashing at least - not too much to ask?

Along the same lines: Do you think it would go over ok if I insisted all the smokers in my family wash their hands before holding my baby? I know it's brief contact, but I'm already stressing about my mom and both my sisters smoking on the way to see my brand new baby and walking in all stinky saying, "Let me hold the baby!" : I honestly wish I could have them get into scrubs and shower, brush their teeth, etc. first, but of course that's unreasonable. But handwashing at least - not too much to ask?

If your not comfortable with it, tell them what thet need to do to hold the baby. Simple as that.

Along the same lines: Do you think it would go over ok if I insisted all the smokers in my family wash their hands before holding my baby? I know it's brief contact, but I'm already stressing about my mom and both my sisters smoking on the way to see my brand new baby and walking in all stinky saying, "Let me hold the baby!" : I honestly wish I could have them get into scrubs and shower, brush their teeth, etc. first, but of course that's unreasonable. But handwashing at least - not too much to ask?

Along the same lines: Do you think it would go over ok if I insisted all the smokers in my family wash their hands before holding my baby? I know it's brief contact, but I'm already stressing about my mom and both my sisters smoking on the way to see my brand new baby and walking in all stinky saying, "Let me hold the baby!" : I honestly wish I could have them get into scrubs and shower, brush their teeth, etc. first, but of course that's unreasonable. But handwashing at least - not too much to ask?

I dealt w/ the awkwardness of asking people to handwash, a few months ago I found this website that sold signs toput on your door, it def is to the point:
mommyshelperinc.com

as far as co sleeping and sids, Even if a smoker has showered, washed hair, and changed clothing b4 bed, the toxins in the lungs from the cigs get exhaled continuously. A baby sleping w/ a smoker is now breathing in oxygen that is also mixed w/ small amount of toxins, which can contribute to health problems.

Some evidence now suggests that when exposed to the harmful effects of tobacco in the womb, babies sustain damage to their nervous systems that affects their ability to respond well to the interactions between mother and infant that often occur in bedsharing